Top 10 Tools for Transcription

Transcription can be a daunting task if you are a novice. However, your firm can be at ease with the best transcription software available in the market!

Advanced tools for transcription can help your company convert audio/video into text for educational, entertainment, medical, legal, and several other purposes. Its demand is such that the transcription market will see an estimated US $3.71 BN growth by 2031!

With the best transcription tools:

• Search engines can easily find your content
• Your company can reach a broader audience base
• Your firm can improve the content’s accessibility
• You can efficiently distribute your content

Transcription tools deliver accurate information in the most effective and convenient way. Your company can create additional content with the transcripts for marketing purposes. Moreover, transcripts are easier to distribute as they do not take up much space. 

With numerous benefits, the transcription tool is every business’s favorite! Let’s acquaint you with some of the best transcription tools that use manual intelligence and AI to deliver the best results.

What are the Best Tools for Transcription?

1. GoTranscript

If your company doesn’t want to rely on automated transcription and wants a human touch to its digital transcription, Go Transcript is the best bet!

GoTranscript offers exclusive human-based audio and video transcription and is the best transcription software. Relying on manual intelligence, it ensures accurate in-class transcription for its clients. It also provides translation, captions, and subtitles for videos. 

GoTranscript is an excellent option if the audio includes difficult accents, lower-quality content, or industry jargon. It follows a four-step procedure to ensure the best for its partners:

1. Transcription
2. Review
3. Proofreading
4. Quality Check

Features of GoTranscript

• 99% accuracy 
• 100% manually generated transcriptions
• Brilliant quality assurance 
• Editing assistance with video transcripts, captions, and subtitles
• Loyalty discounts

Pros of GoTranscript

• Faster turnaround time
• Affordable rates
• Easy to use
• Guaranteed security
• Multilingual(61+ language) benefits
• Popular with all audio or video file formats and support links from Youtube, Vimeo, Dropbox, and Google Drive
• Free trial available

Pricing of GoTranscript

• Transcription from $0.77 per minute
• Translation from $0.06 per word
• Captions from $1.11 per minute
• Subtitles from $8.50 per minute

2. Trint

Trint is among the best tools for transcription. It is a perfect option for researchers, media producers, authors, freelancers, academics, and more. Trint is an AI audio transcription software that can turn audio into thirty-one languages of text. 

It is among the tools for transcription that can efficiently transcribe audio/video files, phone calls, archives, and interviews. With Trint, you can assign multiple speakers names, add markers, search for specific words and leave reminders via comments on certain sections. It is one of the best options for single-speaker audio or video files.

Features of Trint 

• ISO-certified data security
• Translates scripts into 54 languages
• Converts audio and video into written content

Pros of Trint

• Free trial
• Allows to pause plan when not needed
• Easy integration with Adobe Premiere Pro and several other apps
• Built-in text editor

Cons of Trint 

• No mobile application for Android devices
• Average accuracy rates

Pricing of Trint

• Starter: $48 per month
• Advanced: $60 per month
• Pro Team: $68 per user per month
• Enterprise: Customized pricing

3. Otter

Otter is a highly recommended and all-inclusive online transcription tool. It has tools to control playback speed, real-time annotation, data security, and export files. With Otter, clients can record audio from their phones or use a web browser to transcribe files immediately. 

This digital transcription tool doesn’t offer plain transcription. However, you can also add notes, images, speaker IDs, and key phrases! 

Otter offers impressive discounts to faculty members, students, and full-time staff of an accredited primary, tertiary or secondary institution, a non-profit educational institution, a regional service agency, or a school district. In addition, you can train Otter to recognize voices for fast references in the future. 

Features of Otter

• Ability to feed terminology and names
• Advanced collaboration features
• Bulk export in various formats

Pros of Otter

• Secure encryption
• Real-time transcription from Microsoft teams, Cisco Webex, Google Meet, and Zoom
• Multiple playback speed options
• Effective collaboration features

Cons of Otter

• As it is an AI-based software, it cannot guarantee accuracy
• Expensive rates

Pricing of Otter

• Pro: $12.99 per month
• Business: $30 per user per month
• Enterprise: Custom Pricing

4. Descript

Descript is among the best tools for transcription, with user-friendly tools for media creators. The platform provides both AI and human-based transcriptions. The transcription software is easy to use and offers various features. 

It is a cloud-based platform that offers accurate digital transcription. With Descript, your company can have its task delivered within twenty-four hours. The transcription service lets you sync files from your cloud storage, auto-save, and sync progress. 

Moreover, it also allows you to import the completed transcription to blend with your media for free. Finally, you can add time stamps, speaker labels, and other customizing elements. 

Features of Descript

• Offers tools for audio/video editing, recording, and mixing
• Offers live training for teams
• Provides tools to detect and remove filler words 

Pros of Descript

• Data security 
• Exports transcripts in various formats
• Saves your files in different cloud storage platforms through Zapier
• Multiples functionality in one platform

Cons of Descript

• No mobile application for Android devices
• Average quality transcriptions for other languages except for English

Pricing of Descript

• Creator: $12 per editor per month
• Pro: $24 per editor per month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

5. Amberscript

Amberscript is among the best tools for transcription that provide audio and video transcription services with great accuracy rates. In addition, the software has an AI speech algorithm that turns audio/video into text or subtitles. 

Amberscript offers both AI and manual transcriber options. In addition, it provides cloud, SaaS, and web-based deployment. 

The online transcription tool supports languages like Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and others. 

The platform offers secure and fast transcriptions. Amberscript supports thirty-nine languages in automatic transcription and eleven languages in manual transcription. Moreover, it also provides a free trial of automatic transcriptions. 

Features of Amberscript

• Audio Capture
• Mobile and desktop applications available
• Online text editing tools

Pros of Amberscript

• High accuracy rates
• Easy to use
• Excellent customer service
• Various speaker’s distinction

Cons of Amberscript

• It takes too much time to transcribe files
• Issues with pronunciation when audio files are transcribed into written text

Pricing of Amberscript

• Pre-Paid: $8 per hour
• Subscription: $25 per month (up to 5 hours of Transcription is allowed)
• Manual Transcription: $1 per minute

6. Express Scribe

ExpressScribe is one of the reputed tools for transcription that transcribes audio effortlessly. It can transcribe files from both digital and analog voice recorders. You can quickly transcribe dictations, movies, voice notes, lectures, and interviews with this online transcription tool. 

This digital transcription tool saves a lot of time due to its transcribing pedal support and keyboard hotkeys. In addition, ExpressScribe allows multiple formats like encryption-dictated files. 

You can also integrate this transcription online tool with FastFox Text Expander, Microsoft Word, Express Dictate Dictation Recorder, and others. The tool supports German, English, French, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish languages.

Features of Express Scribe

• Varied speed playback
• Supports 3GP, 3G2, M4V, ASF, MP4, MPEG, AVI, MOV, DivX, FLV, MKV, WMV, and DV video file formats
• Audio and video transcription

Pros of Express Scribe

• Supports multiple audio and video file formats
• Low system requirements
• Automation tools for receiving and sending files
• Professional foot pedals to control playback and help you increase your words per minute

Cons of Express Scribe

• Average customer support 
• Compatibility issues

Pricing of Express Scribe

• Free version
• Basic version: $39.95
• Professional version: $49.99

7. Rev

Rev is a digital transcription tool that transcribes live captions in the best way. This is among the tools for transcription that saves users a lot of time. The users only need to upload the audio file. 

It is one of the best transcription tools, including both AI and human-generated transcription. In addition, this online transcription tool is ADA and FCC-compliant.

Rev integrates with JW player, Vimeo, Youtube, Google Drive, and other platforms. In addition, it provides live captions and audio transcription for video presentations, webinars, and virtual conferences.

Features of Rev

• Transcription editing tools 
• Multilingual transcription
• Multiple format support

Pros of Rev

• Great transcription speed
• Live captions for Zoom
• Highly secured audio and text
• Foreign subtitles for 88+ languages

Cons of Rev

• Slow customer service
• Errors by speech recognition feature

Pricing of Rev

• Manual Transcription: $1.25/minute
• Automated Transcription: 25 cents/ minute
• English Captions and Subtitles: $1.25 /minute
• Foreign Subtitles: $3-7/minute
• Automatic Live Captions for Zoom: $20/host

8. Audext

Audext is one of the most advanced tools for transcription. This transcription online tool offers you a transcript within three business days. It provides both human and AI-based transcription. 

This automatic transcription tool has an in-built text editor where users can perfect transcription using time stamps. With the text editor of this online transcription tool, you can find and replace words according to your needs. In addition, the tool has efficient pricing plans tailored according to users’ needs. 

Audext is among the affordable tools for transcription and is trusted by organizations like Temple University, Prescott College, The University of Utah, and more. 

Features of Audext

• Speaker identification
• Timestamping
• Auto-save progress

Pros of Audext

• User-friendly interface
• Multiple payment methods
• Quick transcription service
• Supports 60+ global languages

Cons of Audext

• Slow with large-sized files
• Limited features in the transcription editor

Pricing of Audext

• • Professional: $1.2 per minute and $0.5 for extra parameters like verbatim and noisy audio.
  • Automatic
    • Classic one-time purchase: $12 an hour
    • Subscription-based: $30 per month 
    • Enterprise for businesses: custom pricing option

9. oTranscribe

oTranscribe is a digital transcription tool that offers advanced features without charging a penny. The platform provides simple tools for transcription, including inserting timestamps, rewinding, jumping, skipping, and various others.

It is an online transcription tool where users can control the platform and perform multiple functions. Although it is a web-based tool, you can also use it offline. In addition, the platform has various keyboard shortcuts that make it easy for beginners to transcribe without a mouse. 

oTranscribe has been featured in The Guardian, Wannabe Hacks, TNW, and various other platforms.

Features of oTranscribe

• Auto-saves files
• Interactive time stamps
• One window for both video and text editor

Pros of oTranscribe 

• Available for free
• Open-source online transcription tool
• Highly secure
• Automatic backups of the current transcript at set intervals

Cons of oTranscribe

• No automated transcription
• No access to saved transcripts from different computers

Pricing of oTranscribe

• oTranscribe is a free online transcription tool.

10. Happy Scribe

Happy Scribe is among the tools for transcription, best known for transcribing large audio and video files. In addition, this digital transcription tool is an excellent option for subtitles and transcription. 

The tool offers both manual and automated transcription for users. Happy Scribe produces highly accurate scripts. It is a transcription online tool with an interactive text editor to replace and correct words according to your needs. 

With Happy Scribe, users can create vocabulary, assign speaker names, and utilize the platform’s API to sync third-party tools. Users can also customize subtitles from the extensive subtitle format options. 

Features of Happy Scribe

• GDPR compliant
• Speaker identification
• Wide range of import and export formats

Pros of Happy Scribe

• Secure and confidential data
• Easy collaboration
• Supports 120+ languages
• No size restrictions while uploading files

Cons of Happy Scribe 

• Expensive for regular uses
• Limited features

Pricing of Happy Scribe

• Automatic transcription and subtitles: $0.20/ minute
• Manual transcription and subtitles: $1.95/minute

How to Get The Best Tools for Transcription?

Every company wants the best for its business. Of course, the unique needs of each company vary from one another. But certain common factors will help you get the best transcription tool for your business. So let’s take a look.

Turnaround Time 

Before committing to any company, ensure that you get proper research done. Each platform will be able to provide you with a large file within an hour.

The time taken to transcribe a file entirely depends on the length of the file. Don’t go for service providers who promise you unreasonable timings. 

For example, if the file is of 2 hours, on average, it will take at least 40-50 minutes to turn around a file. 

Readability 

What is the use of transcribing a file if the result is difficult to comprehend? Ensure to go for a digital transcription tool with an excellent speech recognition feature. 

A transcription tool with an accurate speech recognition feature can analyze pauses within the text, the different parts of speech, voices, dialects, and tenses. 

Audio Quality 

Accurate transcription isn’t possible with good audio quality. And for decent audio quality, you need to eliminate background noise. 

Ensure that the participants use high-quality microphones and speak one at a time. A digital voice recorder is the best way to get a better audio-quality file.

 The audio quality must be brilliant if you opt for an automated transcription tool. Automatic transcriptions do their job well without interference from other participants in two-way communication. For the transcription of a debate session, manual transcriptionists are the best choice.

Cost

Cost is vital if you are a startup or a small business. Most transcription tools charge on a per-minute basis. Moreover, some tools for transcription charge extra if users want verbatim or fast-processing files. 

Ensure to get in touch with a transcription platform that comes with subscription plans. Many transcription tools come with payment plans divided according to their features. Opt for a free trial and see whether the transcription tool works for your business. 

With a small business, you can opt for monthly subscriptions, but if you are a large enterprise with a huge workload, it is always better to choose custom pricing plans. 

Transcription Editors 

Transcription editors are a necessary feature of every transcription tool. Go for transcription tools with built-in editors for users to modify and highlight areas of the transcribed text. 

With in-built transcription editors, you can make your text concise, rearrange text, use the playback controls to check your work, and do a lot more! 

A robust built-in transcription editor always comes in handy if your company uses transcriptions now and then.

Final Words

Technology and innovation have reached great heights. And the tools for transcription are among its best examples. With the best transcription tools, you can convert dictation/ speech/audio files into text and get excellent subtitles or captions for live meetings/videos within a stipulated time.

Companies can use digital transcription tools in various fields to help them quickly transcribe complex and low-quality files. 

The transcription tools also offer other features besides converting audio/video files into written text. For example, you can edit and share transcripts, record audio/videos, offer data security, and use a mobile software application.

Whether you prefer AI-based or human-intelligence transcription, the above list of tools for transcription will help you choose the best one from both worlds.